1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a solid state imaging device having a high quality image and low power consumption, and a method of driving the same.
2. Description of Related Art
Solid state imaging devices carried in cellular phones or the like include a CCD (charge coupled device) type image sensor and a CMOS type image sensor. The CCD type image sensor is excellent in image quality, and the CMOS type image sensor consumes lower power and its process cost is low. In recent years, MOS type solid state imaging devices using a threshold voltage modulation method which combines both a high quality image and low power consumption have been proposed. A MOS type solid state imaging device using the threshold voltage modulation method is disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2002-134729, for example.
In the solid state imaging device of Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2002-134729, the image output is obtained by arranging unit pixels in a matrix form and repeating three states of initialization, accumulation, and reading. Moreover, in the solid state imaging device of Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2002-134729, each unit pixel has a photo-diode, a modulation transistor, and an overflow drain gate. The gate of the modulation transistor is formed in a ring shape.
Electric charges (photo-generated electric charges) generated by light incident upon the photo-diode are transferred to a P-type well region formed under a ring gate, and accumulated in a carrier pocket formed in this region. The threshold voltage of the modulation transistor changes corresponding to the photo-generated electric charges accumulated in the carrier pocket. Accordingly, a signal (pixel signal) corresponding to incident light is obtained from a terminal coupled to the source region of the modulation transistor.
In the solid state imaging device of Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2002-134729, in order to prevent distortion produced when imaging a moving object, an image made by an optical signal is simultaneously taken in on an entire light-receiving surface, and the optical signal thereof is converted to an electric signal and output as an image signal. However, in this reading method, an accumulating period and a reading period cannot be controlled for each pixel because the image made by the optical signal is simultaneously taken in on an entire light-receiving surface. Therefore, while specific pixels are being read, the accumulation operation cannot be carried out in other pixels, and as a result the frame rate cannot be increased.
Furthermore, in the solid state imaging device of Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2002-134729, a part of the photo-generated electric charges generated in the photo-diode is discharged to the substrate through the overflow-drain region formed in a P type layer.
Incidentally, in an N type layer which constitutes the photo-diode, as the peak of impurity concentration becomes deeper perpendicularly downward in the substrate, the wavelength range of photoelectric-convertible incident light becomes wider. That is, taking a higher quality image into consideration, the depth of the N type layer needs to be sufficiently deep. On the other hand, the overflow-drain region is composed of a deep P type layer extending from underneath an overflow drain gate to the rear surface of the substrate. This P type layer is formed by implanting P type impurities after forming the above-mentioned N type layer. Therefore, in order to form the overflow-drain region composed of a deep P type layer, the ion-implanting energy needs to be increased. Generally, the area of an impurity region formed by increased ion-implanting energy increases. That is, the area of the overflow-drain region will increase. Therefore, there is a tradeoff between a higher quality image and miniaturization, and there is also a problem that a solid state imaging device cannot be miniaturized if the N type layer is deepened for achieving a higher quality image.
The present invention has been made in view of the above described problems, and is intended to provide a solid state imaging device and a method of driving the same which can attain a higher quality image and miniaturization while speeding up the frame rate by allowing the accumulating period and the reading period to be set to a common timing.